


Zara and the Prince

by LaDonnaErrante



Series: How Zara came to Court [2]
Category: Fairy Tales and Related Fandoms, Jewish Legend & Lore
Genre: Collection: Purimgifts Day 3, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-21
Updated: 2013-02-21
Packaged: 2017-12-03 03:50:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/693782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaDonnaErrante/pseuds/LaDonnaErrante
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zara sets out to seek her fortune and finds a unique set of challenges.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Zara and the Prince

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Zdenka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zdenka/gifts).



> As I explored some of the kick-ass women of Jewish Lore for this fest, I became a bit obsessed with Serakh bat Asher, who is mentioned in Torah but whose character is developed in midrash and in jewish folklore from around the world but particularly in Persia. For those who may be less familiar with her, she is the immortal granddaughter of Jacob the Patriarch and is often the personification of Jewish history and memory.
> 
> This is part 2 of an original fairy tale based loosely on Persian Jewish Folklore

Zara stopped to rest beneath a tree and heard the birds twittering away. Remembering what Serakh had told her about the ring, she put it on and turned it thrice. She listened idly to their chitchat, hoping to catch some useful information when a bluebird spoke up.  
  
“Have you heard? The court moves to make war against our neighbors to the south! It will bring terrible destruction to this land and they will cut down all our trees!”  
  
“I heard,” added a lark, “that a sorcerer has caused a mazik to live in the Prince to make him ill while the advisors rule.”  
  
“If there was only one who could drive out such a demon!” the bluebird said.  
  
“It is quite simple,” answered the lark. “All anyone would have to do is boil the leaves of this tree with some garlic and turmeric for three days and feed it to the Prince three times a day for three days and he will be restored.”  
  
The young woman smiled to herself, and gathered some leaves into her bundle before continuing on her journey.  
  
Upon arriving in the city, she dressed herself in the clothes of a man and made her way to the palace, telling the guards and viziers she was a doctor who could cure the Prince. The vizier--who in his heart believed that this country quack could not heal a paper cut and in fact was counting on this to be true--allowed the doctor to tend to the Prince on the condition that if he failed, he should be executed.  
  
The Prince was quite ill and spoke nonsense in his sleep, rising every few hours and babbling incoherently before falling back asleep. For three days she boiled the mixture and tended to him. Whenever he slept soundly she looked longingly at the harp, almost picking it up a few times. But she remembered the old woman’s words of warning and thought better of it. She did not know who might be watching her. Instead, she amused herself by singing songs and telling the feverish Prince the stories she knew about how Serakh Bat Asher had kept the Jewish people from harm, generation after generation. The nights she passed by plotting how she would fulfill the rest of her mission, for curing the Prince was the simplest task, indeed, she had to figure out which vizier was the sorcerer and kill him.  
  
When the medicine was ready, she gave the Prince a little bit three times a day for three days. On the first day, he slept but without babbling. On the second day, his fever broke but still he slept. Finally, on the third day he awoke and began to regain his strength.  
  
The Prince took notice of the young man in his room and began to ask him questions about his illness and its cure. Zara answered as faithfully as she could, without revealing who she was or how she had found the cure.  
  
The Prince then asked what the young doctor would like in return for his services.  
  
Zara answered that all she desired was to play music in his court. The Prince assented, and the next day, he returned to court with Zara, who was still in disguise.  
  
All of the courtiers greeted the Prince warmly and made a show of celebrating his return. Zara had been hoping she might spot the sorcerer without having to resort to using the harp, but they all looked similarly sincere. One by one, the viziers presented their news and advice to the Prince who looked alarmed at the news that they might be going to war, but listened quietly without passing judgment.  
  
It was midday before Zara was invited to play, and she began to sing without the harp, just a few harmless country tunes to set the court at ease. The viziers surrounded the king in a semicircle and Zara sat in the middle, taking up her harp. She could see each face clearly. Though she had never played the instrument before, a beautiful melody rang out and the words came to her without thought.  
  
In verse she told of a Prince bewitched by one of his own court left to die while the sorcerer muddled affairs in the country and played warmonger. The faces of the whole court grew pale. Zara continued, eventually naming the evil vizier who had enchanted the Prince.  
  
The vizier rushed at her and pulled the harp from her hands.  
  
“Lies!” He shouted, “The doctor is lying. Guards—seize him!”  
  
As the guards made their way forward, the Prince put up a hand. The young doctor had saved his life, after all. The vizier pivoted on his heel to face the Prince, a sneer on his face and began to chant in a language no one at court understood. Zara, recognizing her moment, drew the sword from her robes and cut off the head of the vizier.  
  
The Prince, startled and still not exactly sure what to make of the whole scene, ordered the guards to arrest the doctor. Zara was held in chains, in the court while the Prince sorted out the mess.  
  
Two of his courtiers came forward and described how, once the Prince had fallen ill, they had been bullied into accepting the sorcerer’s agenda and provoking a war with the neighboring states, as well as into levying heavy taxes on the peasants.  
  
The Prince then asked the doctor to come forward. “I am sorry for not believing you, for indeed it seems you have saved not only my life but the lives of many. I am deeply indebted to you and would like you to stay on at court and serve as my advisor, but if you desire another reward, name it and it shall be yours.”  
  
“Thank you, your highness. And I would be honored to be your advisor but before I consent, I too, must apologize,” she began. “I have deceived you.” Zara removed her disguise and curtsied low, revealing to the Prince that the young doctor was, in fact, a woman.  
  
Gasps were heard across the room, but the Prince, grateful that his life and kingdom had been saved, accepted her apology. So Zara remained at court the rest of her days. She and the Prince grew to be great friends and he never once doubted her counsel. And so the people of the kingdom lived in peace and happiness for many years.

 

 

Image Credit: LOLSaints.com

(It's Judith, but it could just as easily be Serakh in 2 Samuel chapter 20, or Zara with the head of the Vizier)


End file.
